The Testament of heavy metal

Heavy Metal is a genre and community that is usually left to interpretation and that is where their issues arise. This interpretation factor is usually taken the wrong way by parents, adults, and as stated earlier, the PRMC. Now normally misconceptions are just that, they are nothing major and will fall by the way side. But when it becomes a worldwide phenomenon and adolescents around the world are being “affected” problems arise. Parental biases form and people begin to talk and form groups. This in turn leads to charges which turn into trials and that is what heavy metal has had to go through. There have been many trails against heavy metal but they were more common in the 80’s and 90’s. The trials have forced many bands like Judas Priest, Ozzy Osborne, Twisted sister, and many more, to go into court and defend their music even though they have a freedom of speech. Judas Priests’ trial took place in 1985 after “a pair of young Nevada men shot themselves after listening to albums by the heavy-metal band”(Times). The two families claimed that the band had planted subliminal messages into their album “Stained Class” which propelled these kids to take their own lives. The “hidden” lyrics that were claimed to have done this were, “let’s be dead” and “do it”(Times). These words are never actually paired together in any of the 11 songs from the album(see “Stained Class” link below for album lyrics). Thus, the subliminal message charge was dropped because of its falsification. The defendants lawyers went on to show that metal was not the issue that forced the kids into their horrific actions; but rather the issues the kids had with their past and drug abuse. The lawyer stated, “Both young men were high school dropouts with criminal records and both had problems holding jobs. Each also came from a family with a history of domestic violence and child abuse and had received counseling”(Times). In the end the case was dropped because there was no correlation between heavy metal and suicide. Almost this exact same trial occurred against Ozzy Osborne. This time though there was not one case against the band but rather three. And an entire album was not under fire but rather a single song: “Suicide Solution.” Yet again the three incidents were dropped because there was no relationship between heavy metal and the adolescents’ actions. These two trials can be easily summed up by a sign that was held outside at the Judas Priest trial: “’Alcohol, drugs and a 12-gauge shotgun killed those poor kids, not metal music'”(Times). Dee Snider of Twisted Sister has become very famous not only for his music but because of his defense of heavy metal at a trial against the senate. Mr. Snider is the lead singer of Twisted Sister and looks very much like the head man of a metal band. He has Long crazy hair, ripped dark clothing, and too much makeup on. Normally a person would dress up nice to go to a trial but Dee did not want to conform to standards, much like heavy metal. He showed up to court in his concert outfit. Needless to say he did not look like much of a threat to the senate. Alternatively, he slammed the senate and their case against heavy metal and if it promoted adolescent delinquency. He also went on to prove that people misunderstood his song “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and took the video too serious. His video was meant to be a joke. It was an over traumatization of kids rising up adults. It was meant to be a Wile E Coyote video. Yet again, overreacting parents targeted the wrong source of their children’s problems. Even though metal has been through all of this it is still here today because there is nothing truly wrong with it.